Minister Doherty to Introduce Civil Registration Bill 2019

Minister Doherty to Introduce Civil Registration Bill 2019 Changes will facilitate the registration and re-registration of births of children of same sex female couples affirming their parental rights

Friday, 11 January, 2019: The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty T.D., today (Friday, 11 January, 2019) announced that the Government has approved the preparation of the Civil Registration Bill 2019. The Bill will resolve a number of difficulties in the registration of donor assisted births and will be brought forward as a priority.

This Bill will extend the required particulars for registration of a birth to include “Parent” on a birth certificate. At present birth certificates issued in respect of donor-assisted children born to same sex couples only allow for the recording of the mother’s details.

These changes will facilitate the registration and re-registration of births of children of same sex female couples, and this will affirm their parental rights.
In addition to the current labels of “Mother” and “Father” on birth certificates, parents of non-donor assisted children may also avail of the label “Parent” should they so request it.

Minister Doherty said:

“While the changes proposed will affect a relatively small number of people, they touch on matters that are very sensitive and of great importance to those families affected. I have met with and spoken to many affected by this issue and I am now very pleased to be able to bring these changes forward as a priority to ensure that they can be introduced as soon as possible.”

Further information

The Bill will also include provisions for:

a role for a next of kin in providing a Coroner with additional details in relation to a deceased person’s particulars;

sharing of GRO data and records with a body such as the National Library or National Archives; and

collection of additional details in respect of deceased persons in order that the CSO can comply with obligations under EU Regulations.

It is expected that the Bill will be published and brought before the Houses of the Oireachtas early in the spring legislative session.